Books, Boots and Bakeries

I still remember exactly where I was when Shaman dropped, like a sneaky little gift from Lauren Gilley back in 2017. It was a surprise release, and I was about to get on a plane from DC back to Australia after exploring Tennessee and New Orleans with my in-laws. (Spoiler alert: don’t try to wing accommodation in New Orleans.) Between questionable Airbnb choices and a week’s free stay gifted by a friend’s dad, it had been a full on couple of weeks. I’d actually just baught Lauren Gilley’s entire Dartmoor back catalogue and carefully lugged the whole thing around the States, terrified that the airline would lose my luggae on the way home.

Anyway, I’d just settled in at the gate, earbuds in, suitcase wrangled, Phone charged, with the kindle app installed, and there it was. Shaman. I started reading before the flight even began to board. Hours later, squashed into an economy seat, I was still completely hooked.

Shaman is technically book 6.5 in the Dartmoor series, but it easily stands on its own. It’s a gorgeous little MM novella about Ian and Alec, and it might be short, but it doesn’t pull any punches. There’s vulnerability, connection, a quiet kind of courage between them that just sneaks up on you. The intimacy in this one is off the charts, not just the physical stuff, but the emotional weight behind every glance, every conversation, every decision. It’s soft, it’s sharp, and it’s everything I didn’t know I needed at the time.

I was so glad Ian got his happy ending, with a place he belongs and his chosen family. It felt earned, and it felt right. I’ve said it before, novellas can be hit or miss for me. Too often they feel like deleted scenes or filler content. I felt like Shaman was its own story, fully formed and beautifully paced.

And if you’ve read the rest of the series, the little touches, the nods to the club, the familiar names and moments, just hit harder. Lauren Gilley writes with that grounded, character first style I love, where even the quiet moments mean something.

It’s been seven years, and I still think about Shaman. Maybe it was the timing. Maybe it was the jetlag. Maybe it was the way Gilley made something so compact feel so big. But this one stayed with me, and if you’re even slightly curious about MM romance, it’s a damn good place to dive in, just make sure you have read the rest of the series.

And please if you take one piece of advice from me, take this: Book your New Orleans accommodation ahead of time.